Shooting an Elephant

"When the white man turns tyrant it is his own freedom that he destroys." Shooting an Elephant is an autobiographical essay set in colonial Burma where Orwell had served as a police officer. The story of the Englishman forced to shoot a rampaging elephant and then to kill it, even when it is no longer a threat, is used to explore themes of imperialism, power, and personal conscience, and functions as a powerful metaphor for the destructive nature of imperialism. Born Eric Arthur Blair, George Orwell (1903-1950) was a British novelist, essayist, and critic famous for his insightful social and political commentary. His personal engagement with real world issues imbues his work with a sense of social conscience that continues to resonate with readers, and his two most famous novels, Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four, continue to captivate audiences worldwide.